Home and Garden
by sanseiryu
Summary: Amy's wish for a chance to be in Home and Garden magazine, comes through in a form of a caterpillar.


Amy stood looking out over her garden. She was becoming increasingly frustrated with the progress being made. Her desire this year to make the cover of Home and Garden:Summer Issue was the single most pressing concern she had in the pile of problems through which she need wade.

She had already sacked two landscaping contractors and was now coordinating with a third, but she could see that her vision was not coming together, he had not kept his word.

Her household staff had been put on notice about her short temper this day and did their best to stay out of her way. Most of all to avoid being around when she was in such a fury, quick to scamper off in a blink or in a hurry.

Amy stood fuming, when she noticed a caterpillar staring up at her from a leaf. Amy let out a blood curdling shriek. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" She shouted. "BUGS ARE INVADING MY GARDEN!

Amy found a trowel, placed it in her hand and was about to trounce the caterpillar out of existence, when she heard a voice.

"I beg your pardon?"

Amy looked around in surprise. "Who said that?"

"I did."

"Who did?"

"I did! Down here you annoying woman!"

Amy looked down and saw nothing but the large green caterpillar staring up at her again.

"If you would be so kind as to drop that trowel, perhaps we could have a civil conversation about the garden, Madam," said the caterpillar, adjusting its glasses on its face.

Amy was stunned into silence, her lips quivered as if to hold back some hysterical laughter.

"This is not possible, I am not really seeing a talking caterpillar, one that is wearing glasses and is looking at me with a most snooty expression on its face."

"Well madam, if it is not me, then who could it be? Perhaps it is the tree, or maybe the fat yellow bee.

For if it is not I, then you cannot trust your eyes and soon you will have to surmise, that all that is happening could not possibly be."

The caterpillar began to smoke a pipe, it looked up at Amy again and cocked up an eyebrow. "Well Madam, have you made up your mind?"

Amy pinched herself quite hard. "Ouch!"

The caterpillar snorted. "You must trust your own eyes."

"I can't help it." said Amy, addressing the caterpillar for the first time. "Who are you? And Why are you in my garden?"

"I am Elijah." replied the caterpillar. And I am here at your service. I believe that you have need of some gardening work. And as I see that the state of the garden is absolutely dreadful, I am here just in time."

"But you are just a caterpillar. What can you possibly do that human gardeners can't? It's been months and still this garden isn't as beautiful as it could be."

"That is exactly the problem Madam. You have been using human gardeners. Allow me to introduce my troupe of intrepid gardeners extraordinaire. With their help your garden will bloom without a care."

And before Amy's eyes, hedgehogs did appear, followed by gnomes and moles and fieldmice without fear.

"Attention, attention. All of you here. Come around, come around, everyone please come near. We must work fast, for this day may be my last. Attend to this garden with meticulous care, be adventurous, leave nothing uncovered or bare. Bring it to life, spare not the paring knife, let beauty abound, all over these grounds!"

With that the troupe did scatter, to the four corners of the garden, through all of the leafy matter. Pruning here, snipping there, digging and planting with so much care. Furiously fast, but soon at last, the work was done, the daylight sun, down near the far horizon.

Before Amy lay the most gorgeous garden she had ever seen. It was a garden the likes she had never seen, a landscape of color taken from a fantastic dream.

"Thank you dear Elijah my lovely green friend, if not for you, a bad season I would have had to portend."

"Fear not, Amy for the fate of this plot. A swell of good fortune is sure to be your lot."

With that Elijah began to weave his silken cocoon. Now with just his eyes left to see, Elijah bid farewell. To Amy, so grateful, and to his magical troupe, who with a final whoop, scampered off to whence they came.

Amy sat down, on the grass on the cool ground. And listened to the sweet, sweet sound that was all around.

All thoughts of prizes or fame, no longer lingered in her brain. She was content with the garden that she now named. The Garden of Elijah.


End file.
